EVERY Halton ambulance will soon have machines to resuscitate heart attack victims.

Twenty of the Swedish machines went on trial in January and have been so successful, the ambulance service is hoping to have them in all its vehicles within a year.

The equipment, called Lucas, which cost £4,500 each, restarts the patient's heart by pressing the chest in the same way as a paramedic.

But because they can give regular pushes with the same pressure every time, 100 times a minute, without getting tired, the chances of a victim surviving are much higher, according to Mersey-side Regional Ambulance Service.

Mike Jackson, director of clinical care, said: 'It is very encouraging for both ambulance staff and patients in our area to hear success stories like this.

'We have been so impressed that we are now considering purchasing the equipment for every single front-line emergency ambulance or rapid response vehicle.'